KC Johnson at Duke

( This post is in the old web log tradition: notes at the end of a busy day for others who know “the background.” John)

You know about KC and his extraordinary work reporting and commentating on what was first called “the Duke lacrosse case,” but which KC’s done so much to convince a growing number of people was a hoax that quickly became a witch hunt.

Tonight at Duke’s Bryan Student Center KC was on a panel with Larry Holt, Chair of Durham’s Human Relations Commission and Stephen Miller, Duke Chronicle columnist and Exec. Dir.of the Duke Conservative Union.

KC in person is just as impressive as he “appears” on your computer screen: organized, extraordinarily well-informed, and persuasive.

If you're asking whether his care and justice-seeking comes through in person, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

His voice is pleasant.

Panel manners? He didn't "hog" time, interrupt the other panelists or engage in one-upmanship. I gave Professor Johnson an A+ for panel manners.

When KC spoke about Nifong’s procedural irregularities, Duke’s failures of duty and values, and the obvious innocence of the three students wrongly indicted, you couldn't miss his obvious belief in every word he spoke.

Almost all of what KC discussed tonight, he’s said in his posts. Still, it was powerful to hear him:

first, quote verbatim and identify by number five parts of the NC state bar’s Code of Professional Conduct;

and, then, to state by day, source and statements and/or actions just what Nifong did to violate the Code of Professional Conduct.

Remember how Nifong promised the court DNA results would exonerate the innocent and then when the results came back, he ignored them?

Remember how Nifong directed Durham Police Sgt. Mark Gottlieb to conduct an ID procedure that violated a number of the Durham Police Department’s own ID procedures, including failing to use "fillers" and telling the accuser she's be shown only photos of players who were at the party?

KC said Nifong’s conduct in those instances and others violates the bar’s Code of Professional Conduct, and will lead in time to Nifong’s being censured by the NC state bar.

KC said the NC bar has a tradition of not interfering in a case before it’s been resolved, but once that happens, he expects Nifong to be censured.

KC listed some of Duke’s failures when the hoax was first made public; and some of its failures right up to today. For example, the failure of just about every member of Duke’s Arts & Sciences Faculty to stand up for due process for its students when Durham Police entered dorm rooms without a search warrant.

But before KC could say much more about any of that, audience members were participating in the Q&A.

I’ll say more about that, the other panelists and some after Q&A discussion and interviews tomorrow or Saturday.

Tonight's event was sponsored by Duke’s ACLU chapter.

Final words on KC:

My Mother had her “acid test” for any new friend I’d tell her about.

“Yes, but is your friend the kind of person you could invite home for dinner?”

Folks, you can definitely invite KC home for dinner, unless you’re planning to serve prosecutorial misconduct with large sides of false news reporting and Duke silence, accompanied by a grand cru Brodhead ’88 grown on the Academy's left bank.

John

Update: Journalist and blogger Jon Ham has a very good "first take" on the event. Also, Locomotive Breath, one of the Triangle area's outstanding "citizen journalists" has a very good post at Free Republic.

Look in on them both